11th Ards International Guitar Festival

Ards Plucks the Best of International Blues, Rock, Funk and Jazz Guitar

This year's Ards International Guitar Festival which runs from the 4-14 October 2007 has plucked some of the best international performers to entertain audiences with classical, blues, rock, jazz, folk and funk music.

Emily Walsh, Arts Officer at Ards Borough Council, discusses the programme line up:

"We are thrilled to be able to bring such a diverse range of highly talented artists to Ards from across the globe. Given the popularity of last year's Fringe Festival we have extended the reach of this year's events to venues in the Ards peninsula. The Winding Stair , who played at the prestigious Acoustic Tent at Glastonbury Music Festival in June 2007, will be appearing at Grace Neill's Bar in Donagadee on Thursday 4 October while The Motion Project will be taking to the stage at The Quays in Portavogie on Saturday 6 October. Folk, blues and sultry songwriting will also be showcased at The Streat and The Ivy Bar. Admission is free and everyone is welcome."

A range of music genres are represented in the Ards International Guitar Festival. Classical guitar enthusiasts will enjoy the pairing of two of Northern Ireland's finest guitarists Brian Keenan and Sean Woods on Thursday 11 October at 8.00pm in Ards Arts Centre. A solo performance by Víctor Villadangos , professor of Guitar at the Juan José Castro and Manuel de Falla Conservatories in Buenos Aires will round of the evening.

At 10.00pm on Thursday 11 October, the group Blue Jar will be combining an atmospheric classical sound with the panache of Grappelli and Gypsy flamboyance in The Ivy Bar.

Some of the world's foremost acoustic guitar players will be joining forces on Friday 12 October at the Queen's Hall in International Guitar Night to perform their latest original compositions and exchange musical ideas in a public concert setting. Expect great steel playing and terrific on-stage interaction from four masters of the trade, Peppino D'Agostino , originally from Italy, Andrew White from New Zealand, Montreal based newcomer Antoine DuFour and Brian Gore from San Francisco.

The Ivy Bar will provide a change of tempo at 10.30pm on Friday 12 October as the Mike Wilgar Blues Band deliver their own brand of blues and rock with hard driven blues harp and guitar.

Ards Arts Centre will become an open house on Saturday 13 October as the Classical Guitar Society gather at 3.00pm. Admission is free, so if you enjoy playing, why not bring your own guitar and join in.

Eric Bell , founder member, singer/songwriter and inspiration behind legendary rock band Thin Lizzy, will be exhibiting the same raw energy and dynamism which he is renowned for on Saturday 13 October at 7.30pm in the Queen's Hall. Eric will mix old hits Whiskey in the Jar and The Rocker with new tracks from the band's album Irish Boy.

Multi-award winning musician Preston Reed will also be entertaining the audiences as he weaves and melds genres, rhythms and textures to create his signature sound that is world renown for its emotional power and stylistic creativity, while The Gabriel Makamadzi Band present a multi-cultural guitar experience which is a cross between rockin' Irish and traditional Zimbabwean music.

The Festival will welcome back The Ronnie Greer Band for another blistering night of rhythm and blues on Saturday 13 October at 10.30pm in the Ivy Bar.

Two Belfast musicians, Paul McMordie and Alan Niblock will be bringing the flavour of Morrocco to The Ivy Bar on Sunday 14 October at 12.30pm as they perform songs from an album which was recorded there. From 3.00pm - 5.00pm audiences can enjoy the relaxed atmosphere created by Clive Carroll , Mose Scarlett and Jim Condie . Watch as Jim forsakes his fingerstyle and Dobro playing for a high-speed flatpicking jazz technique, a style which is much more sympathetic to Mose's 'stride'.

For those who play guitar but keen to improve their technique, a number of workshops have been programmed to cater for all levels of ability on Saturday 13 October in the Ards Arts Centre.

Gareth Pearson , will host a Finger Style Guitar workshop from 1.00pm - 2.00pm , while Preston Reed will lead a Composition Workshop from 3.00pm - 4.30pm .

To obtain further information or purchase tickets for the 11 th Ards International Guitar Festival contact the box office on 02891 810803 or log onto www.ardsguitar.com. The Festival has been made possible through the support of funders and sponsors, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Lottery Fund, Ards Borough Council, Avalon Guitars, Ossia School of Music, The Ivy Bar, Matchetts Music, The Streat, Grace Neill's and The Quay's.

Listing Info rmation - 11 th Ards International Guitar Festival , 4 th - 14 th October 2007

The Winding Stair
Date: Thursday 4 October 2007
Time: 8.00pm
Venue: Grace Neill's Bar, 33 High Street , Donagadee , BT21 OAH
Price: Free

The Final of Battle of the Bands
Date: Friday 5 October 2007
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: Live at The Warehouse, The Warehouse, 3 Glenford Way , Newtownards , BT23 4BX
Price: £5.00

The Motion Project
Date: Friday 5 October 2007
Time: 8.00pm
Venue: The Quays, 81 New Harbour Road , Portavogie , BT22 1EB
Price: Free

Folk Night
Date: Monday 8 October 2007
Time: 8.00pm
Venue: Ivy Bar , 14 Castle Street , Newtownards , BT23 7PA
Price: Free

The Final of the Avalaon Singer/Songwriter Competition 2007
Date: Tuesday 9 October 2007
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Ards Arts Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square , Newtownards , BT23 4DB
Price: Free

Tapasia & November Dead List
Date: Tuesday 9 October 2007
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Ivy Bar , 14 Castle Street , Newtownards , BT23 7PA
Price: Free

Metallica Tribute Night
Date: Wednesday 10 October 2007
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Queen's Hall, Regent Street , Newtownards , BT23 4AB
Price: £5

Rigger
Date: Thursday 11 October 2007
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Ivy Bar , 14 Castle Street , Newtownards , BT23 7PA
Price: Free

Brian Keenan & Sean Woods/Victor Villadangos
Date: Thursday 11 October 2007
Time: 8.00pm
Venue: Ards Arts Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square , Newtownards , BT23 4DB
Price: £8/£5

Blue Jar
Date: Thursday 11 October 2007
Time: 10.00pm
Venue: Ivy Bar , 14 Castle Street , Newtownards , BT23 7PA
Price: £5/£3

Gareth Pearson
International Guitar Night: Peppino D'Agostino, Andrew White, Antoine DuFour & Brian Gore
Date: Friday 12 October 2007
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Queen's Hall, Regent Street , Newtownards , BT23 4AB
Price: £20/£15

Winner of the Battle of the Bands 2007
Date: Friday 12 October 2007
Time: 8.00pm
Venue: Ivy Bar , 14 Castle Street , Newtownards , BT23 7PA
Price: Free

The Mike Wilgar Blues Band
Date: Friday 12 October 2007
Time: 10.30pm
Venue: Ivy Bar , 14 Castle Street , Newtownards , BT23 7PA
Price: £5/£3

Gareth Pearson
Date: Saturday 13 October 2007
Time: 4.00pm
Venue: Ivy Bar , 14 Castle Street , Newtownards , BT23 7PA
Price: £5/£3

Gabriel Makamadzi, Clive Carroll, Preston Reed & The Eric Bell Band
Date: Saturday 13 October 2007
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Queen's Hall, Regent Street , Newtownards , BT23 4AB
Price: £20/£15

The Ronnie Greer Band
Date: Saturday 13 October 2007
Time: 10.30pm
Venue: Ivy Bar , 14 Castle Street , Newtownards , BT23 7PA
Price: £5/£3

Paul McMordie and Alan Niblock
Date: Sunday 14 October 2007
Time: 12.30pm
Venue: Ivy Bar , 14 Castle Street , Newtownards , BT23 7PA
Price: £5/£3

Singer/Songwriter winner
The Winding Stair
Mose Scarlett & Jim Condie and Clive Carroll
Date: Sunday 14 October 2007
Time: 3.00pm
Venue: Ivy Bar , 14 Castle Street , Newtownards , BT23 7PA
Price: £5/£3

The Lee Hendley Band
Date: Sunday 14 October 2007
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: Ivy Bar , 14 Castle Street , Newtownards , BT23 7PA
Price: Free

Box Office: 02891 810803

www.ardsguitar.com